Hometeam soccer: US Soccer edict raids high schools

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced a new emphasis on youth development in February, instituting a nationwide mandate that will increase its development academy season to 10 months, from September through June.

The continued maturation of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which was created five years ago, is a big victory for the local elite young players, but is not without collateral damage.

What’s the kicker, you ask?

The other cleat dropped, and U.S. Soccer quietly ruled that academy players can no longer participate in any high school sports, as had been previously allowed.

The consequences of that decision shocked the Central Mass. boys’ soccer landscape, as several teams will lose their best players to the two academies in Massachusetts — the Revolution Academy, run by the New England Revolution, and FC Bolts Celtic.

The most devastating blow was dealt to Shrewsbury High, which lost senior forward Coupar Lipp and central midfielder Matt Morana, who started every game last season as a freshman. Both are headed to the Revolution Academy.

“Leaving all my friends and my coach, it wasn’t an easy decision,” Lipp said. “Once I kind of weighed everything out and looked at what this is offering me … (playing academy) was the best thing for me, and I had to go with it.”

The 6-foot-2 Lipp said the Revolution were very good about explaining the changes to recruits even before team tryouts began.

Lipp, 17, who would have been a returning captain, was a Telegram & Gazette Super Teamer last fall after having led Mid-Wach A — now called Midland A — in scoring with 20 goals and five assists.

With the Revolution, Lipp will return to center back, the position he played on his club team, the New England Futbol Club, and which he likely will play in college.

“I had extremely high hopes going into the season, especially the way we finished last year,” Shrewsbury coach Greg Bennett said. “With those two players, we would be a top three team with North and Algonquin.”

The Colonials made it to the Central Mass. Division 1 quarterfinals last season, their best finish since 2007, and as Bennett put it, if a program goes through peaks and valleys, Shrewsbury was in line to reach a crest this season.

Bennett, also an assistant coach on the Shrewsbury hockey team, has seen a similar story unfold on the ice as he has watched the Central Mass. ranks depleted with many talented players leaving to play in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

Arguably the two top forwards in Inter-High also have joined the Revolution. Defending CMass Division 1 champion North High loses a Super Teamer in Mawolo “Gabe” Gissie, while South goes without junior Matt Nyeayea.

Nyeayea said it was a hard decision to leave all of his friends on the high school team, but he’s committed to the Revs because “it benefits us for our future.”

Both players are entering their second season with the Revolution.

Gissie, now a junior at Worcester Tech (which forms a co-op team with North), is a rising star with the Revolution, having led the U-16s in goals (15) and assists (eight) in 2011. He was named the team’s Player of the Year.

Lucas Ritzer, who as a sophomore last year helped Sutton High to the Division 3 state title while scoring 19 goals as an outside midfielder, has decided to play for FC Bolts Celtic.

“We’d love to have him, but at the same time, we wish him luck,” Sutton coach Mike Elster said.

Elster mentioned senior forward Justin Rothermich as an example of a player who has been able to get national exposure on his club team, Mass Premier Soccer, while still taking part in high school soccer, tennis and indoor track.

While the Bolts have not yet published their academy rosters, club president Elliott Pratt said the number of Central Mass. players is down from 2011.

Named the FC Greater Boston Bolts for the club’s first 25 years, the Bolts changed their name in April after reaching an affiliation agreement with Scottish Premier League powerhouse Celtic FC of Glasgow.

The one player known to have snubbed academy soccer is reigning Hometeam Player of the Year Nate Pomeroy of Division 2 state champion Groton-Dunstable Regional.

According to Pratt, he turned down the Bolts — after having previously been an academy standout, leading the U-16 squad with 13 goals en route to the Northeast Division title — in order to play his senior season with the Crusaders.

Pomeroy, who also plays varsity basketball, collected 32 goals and 12 assists last fall and was named Mid-Wach B MVP as Groton-Dunstable went 20-1-1.

The attraction of academy soccer is clear — it provides top players greater exposure to coaches and scouts than high school and club soccer.